“It was like a prizefight here, that atmosphere,” Few said after the game. “UConn definitely has a home-field advantage here.”

Gonzaga started out trailing UConn by double digits and was never able to fully recover as Mark Few and Co. suffered their second straight loss in a 77-71 final against New York City. It is the first time since December 2018 that the Bulldogs have lost two games in a row.

Here are three takeaways from Gonzaga’s loss to UConn.

The attack goes cold in the crucial phase

It’s not easy to win close games away from home without blocking at least one attempt from the field and substitutions in the last three minutes. The Bulldogs found themselves in the same situation when they went ice cold against the Huskies. Despite scoring some clear shots in the final 3:25 of the second half, Gonzaga missed four straight field goal attempts and six of its final seven to tie the game, including a wide-open layup to Ryan Nembhard just in the final one Minute.

Gonzaga’s Floor General had a brilliant first half, finishing the game with 10 points and six assists, helping the Bulldogs erase their early deficit. Sixth-year guard Khalif Battle also lent a helping hand as he knocked down three 3-pointers and had 11 points before halftime.

In the second half, however, Nembhard struggled to explode through the same lanes to the rim as he saw in the first half. The senior guard was 2 of 8 from the field and had just one assist after halftime, finishing with 16 points and seven assists. Battle led the way with 21 points on 6 of 12 from the field.

While they carried the offensive load throughout, Battle and Nembhard only scored a single point in the final eight minutes and after halftime.

UCONN COMPLETES GONZAGA’S PICK-AND-ROLL GAME

Gonzaga’s offense struggled to maintain its trademark flow and rhythm throughout the 40-minute contest as UConn looked to take away the middle of the court, particularly on-ball actions involving Graham Ike. The Bulldogs’ leading scorer, who averaged more than 15 points, played just 12 minutes Saturday and had just three points from the field in a 1-for-3 loss, thanks in large part to the Huskies’ ability to pick off the Zags to prevent. And-roll game.

Despite Samson Johnson being unavailable for most of the contest, UConn never wavered against Gonzaga’s dynamic frontcourt duo. Braden Huff helped excite the Bulldogs with his activity on the offensive glass in crunch time, although the Huskies also made it difficult for the redshirt sophomore to take his spots on the field. Huff finished the night with eight points on 4 of 10 from the field.

To their credit, the Zags weathered the storm well early on and made it much more difficult for the Huskies to settle into their offensive sets as the night went on. Unfortunately for Few and Co., every time it looked like they were ready to get in the driver’s seat, UConn capitalized on a timely offensive rebound and a subsequent 3-pointer.

GO TO NICHOLLS

It’s safe to say the Bulldogs can’t wait to make up for this loss on Wednesday at 6 p.m. PST when they host Nicholls (7-4) from McCarthey Athletic Center (KHQ/ESPN+). Then they will host Bucknell (4-7) in their final non-conference round on December 21st before a big matchup with UCLA (9-1) on December 28th in Inglewood, California.

However, Saturday’s final result could have an impact on Gonzaga’s NCAA Tournament resume in March. While the Zags face a handful of unique challenges in West Coast Conference play, the opportunities for them to pick up quality wins heading into Selection Sunday are dwindling. Then there will be a lot at stake on December 28th when the Bulldogs and Bruins face off at the Intuit Dome.

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